


Noble Tradition

by night_isms



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, NightWings (Wings of Fire), dragons fighting to the death, first upload hello, it be like that sometimes, royal challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:06:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29102238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/night_isms/pseuds/night_isms
Summary: “This will be over quickly, now, won’t it?” Queen Enmity hissed. “In all my long years, I never suspected that you would be the first of my daughters to challenge me. You, of all dragons.” Truthseer felt pain shoot up her arm as the queen’s claws dug in. Blood trickled down her scales. “It’s a shame you suddenly gave into such foolishness- you could be painting peacefully in your bedroom right now if you had given up your ideas of challenging me.”
Kudos: 2





	Noble Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Uhh- hello, Wings of Fire community, here's my first contribution to this fandom + the first thing I've posted to ao3 in my life... this is kind of a test upload, mostly. However, I'm trying to get into writing fanfiction for things I'm interested in, so let me know if you thought this was any good! I might write more about these characters, or possibly take requests for scenarios with canon characters, if you guys are interested.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“Wait till you’re told!” Truthseer screamed. Her heart was pounding. “Stoneclaws is going to count us off.” 

The sky was black and murderous, stars glinting like needles against the ebony fabric of the night. Wind rushed through the trees and whistled against the rocks so strongly that Truthseer needed to yell to make herself heard. Doing so only made her more nervous. She never yelled. It wasn’t in her nature. 

It also wasn’t in her nature to ever, ever oppose her mother- but now, as they circled each other like enormous bats, silhouetted against the unforgiving backdrop of the sky, that was exactly what she was doing.

Queen Enmity’s eyes flashed as strikingly as the stars. The same wrath glimmered beneath their surface. Truthseer struggled against the leaden, frozen feeling in her wings. She couldn’t let that gaze turn her to stone. 

Stoneclaws, the queen’s advisor, flapped above the crowd of dragons that had gathered in the Great Diamond. Through the dark, Truthseer caught sight of his expression- he looked faint as he stared at her, then back at Enmity, as if he thought she was crazy- as if he fully expected to watch her be ripped apart.

_I probably will be,_ Truthseer thought with terror. _But I have to try. I have to save everyone. It’s up to me- I’m the only one that can. I’m the only one that WILL._ None of her sisters had listened. None of them had even cared. And Duskhunter, whom she thought she could trust, had been furious with her- he really thought she was lying to try and push Mother off the throne. 

_I don’t even want the throne. I don’t want to be queen. But if my choice is between that, or watching the future unfold with Mother still in control of everything… watching everyone die… what am I supposed to do?_

“Queen Enmity, Princess Truthseer,” Stoneclaws said, in a clear, practiced voice that was at odds with the look on his face. “You are about to partake in a fight to the death for the throne of the Night Kingdom. Princess, if you wish to forfeit, please do so now, as this will be your last chance.”

“I do not wish to forfeit.” Truthseer wished her voice sounded stronger. “I will fight.”

Enmity gave a slow, murderous cackle. “And you will die.” 

“We’ll see about that,” Truthseer forced herself to say.

Stoneclaws cleared his throat. “In that case- positions, please.” He waited until they were hovering in the air across from one another, holding their gazes and wings steady.

Then, Stoneclaws flapped low over the crowd, addressing the NightWing citizens. “What you are about to see,” he called, voice projecting over the stones and carrying on the wind, “is an honored, important tradition, one that has shaped the nature of Dragon civilization for thousands of years. Harrowing it may be, and frightening to watch for some, but that does not make it any less noble. The fight will end in one of two ways- with the victory of Queen Enmity, or with the crowning of Princess Truthseer as the new queen. Survival is the only complete victory. On my mark, the fight will begin!”

His wings flashed as he swooped back up beside them. “The only rule of the fight is this: it is not over until only one contender remains alive,” he called. 

Fear pulsed through Truthseer like a shock. She clenched her talons and set her jaw.

“On your marks… claws up, teeth ready…”

Enmity’s glare pierced her through, sizing her up- looking as though she already knew how to kill her.

“Three, two, one…” Stoneclaws’ call seemed to come from kingdoms away. “Let the challenge begin!”

Dragons cheered. Enmity roared. Truthseer shot upwards into the sky, just as her mother arrowed forward.

Wind whistled against her scales, bolstering her nerves. _Remember your notes, remember your notes, focus, focus, focus…_ She turned sharply, banking back towards the queen even as every instinct screamed at her to fly away and save herself. According to the only vision of this battle that she’d ever had, she won after burning a wound on Enmity’s neck- if the hazy glimpse of the queen’s body was anything to go by. But how did she get to that point? Truthseer remembered all the times her mother had hurt her- swooped down on her, seized her, sank her claws and teeth into her scales and threw her, bashing her against the stone walls of the palace. How was she supposed to get near enough to Enmity to hurt her, when her mother’s strength was clearly so much greater?

_What would Scorch do?_

Desperately, Truthseer tried to recall her practice battles with the SandWing as she dodged a glancing blow from Enmity’s talons. Her mother was directly below her in the sky, having barely missed tackling Truthseer out of the air. Quickly Truthseer slammed down her claws, scratching the queen’s wings. A roar of fury escaped her, and she jerked up her head, sending a blast of flame curling towards her daughter’s scales. Truthseer shrieked as she felt it burn her forearms and chest.

_Dragon scales are strong._ Scorch’s rough voice, slow with the drawl of the dragons from the deep Sand Kingdom, sounded in her mind. She recalled a sunset spent by the oasis, sparring, not long after she told her friend of her plans to challenge the queen. _I’ve been burned before in battle. It hurts, but don’t let it slow you down. Don’t freeze long enough to get caught by their talons._

Truthseer kicked out with her back legs, making contact with Enmity’s head. She whirled and flew in the other direction, summoning a burst of flame of her own. Angling downward, she shot it towards her mother’s wings- a desperate, quick shot, but hopefully enough to buy her time.

It worked- barely. The queen tipped sideways in the sky, enraged smoke curling from her snout. Truthseer didn’t dare risk trying to grab her and tackle her out of the air; their sizes were too different. So she dove down again, raising up her talons, and as she bolted towards the ground she slammed them as hard as she could against the softer scales of her opponent’s underbelly.

The blow worked. Her claws tugged against flesh, creating a nasty gash before she yanked them away. Blood spun towards the ground and she felt sick, but she pushed onwards. Enmity roared with wrath and pursued her, wings folding in with a harsh snap as she dropped downward. Truthseer darted to the side, trying to roll out of her way, but got stuck halfway through, realizing with horror that she was merely flying upside down.

A familiar burst of hostile laughter reached her ears, and suddenly the queen of her nightmares was right above her, teeth bared in a malicious smile as she lashed out with her claws. Truthseer struggled not to scream as they raked at her belly. Desperately she wrestled away, gasping as her mother’s talons ripped out of her, and hastily righted herself to try her downwards-strike move again. By now, though, the queen had caught on, and she seized her daughter by the arm. The princess let out a strangled yelp as she was dragged back to face her mother.

“This will be over quickly, now, won’t it?” Queen Enmity hissed. “In all my long years, I never suspected that you would be the first of my daughters to challenge me. You, of all dragons.” Truthseer felt pain shoot up her arm as the queen’s claws dug in. Blood trickled down her scales. 

“It’s a shame you suddenly gave into such foolishness- you could be painting peacefully in your bedroom right now if you had given up your ideas of challenging me.” Her mother grinned at her violently through the dark. “But you thought you were so smart, keeping track of your visions, plotting away. Let me guess- this isn’t at all how your powers told you this fight would go, is it?”

Fighting to breathe, Truthseer pushed past the muteness that came with her terror. _I won’t let her make me silent. She’ll never frighten me into submission again. If I really am about to die-_ a jolt of despair shot through her at the thought- _then by all the silver moons, I’m not going to die cowering in front of her!_

“I had only one vision of this fight, actually,” she spat. “And in it, I won, and you were dead.”

Enmity sputtered a laugh. “Oh, really?” she crowed. “Tell me, are you certain that this vision wasn’t just a dream?”

“Positive.” Truthseer squirmed, beating her wings more forcefully. An idea was taking shape in her mind, one that made her eternally grateful that her mother wasn’t a mind reader.

Enmity’s forked black tongue slipped out between her teeth. “Hilarious. Tell me, then- how is it exactly that you kill me, in this fantasy of yours?”

_Perfect,_ Truthseer thought. She would need to be careful here. Forcing her eyes not to dart to the queen’s neck, she flicked them down at her belly instead- then pulled them away, feigning horror, as if she’d just given something vital away.

Terror crept back up on her as her mother kept flying in place- holding her, toying with her. Even though she knew that the queen couldn’t read minds, she was seized by a sudden paranoia that Enmity could probe into her brain and see through her noverbal lie. _Is she really that gullible? I doubt it. I doubt I can win, and especially not by trying to trick her, and-_

Suddenly the queen’s tail cracked over her snout. Truthseer howled, jerking backwards as she felt her mother turn away- guarding her stomach, she noticed once she could open her eyes again. The sting faded and a tiny sprout of hope burst into her chest.

Below, the crowd was getting restive. Shouts, roars, and the flapping of wings had replaced the cheers. Out of the corner of her eye, as she whistled through the air in an upwards spiral, the princess saw Stoneclaws dart back down over the assembled dragons, trying to call for quiet.

_This must be taking forever,_ she realized. To her, every terrifying minute felt like a millisecond, like time was rushing by at lightning speed and leaving her with no room to comprehend anything. But she must’ve wasted so much time by now flapping about like a coward, delaying the inevitable tearing-apart that she was clearly working herself into.

_Or maybe I’m working my way OUT of it. Maybe, maybe, maybe-_

Enmity barreled into her side, roaring in triumph. Pain shot through Truthseer’s ribcage as her mother’s claws dug in. She twisted, wings smacking downwards, and aimed a clumsy blow the queen’s way. It connected with something- Enmity’s throat. As she separated herself, she watched a bright red slit open up on the queen’s underscales. Blood ran down the cut and flicked through the air like raindrops.

_That’ll do,_ she thought, heart pounding with anticipation. Her wings were starting to hurt, and it was hard to remain in the sky. Her head was beginning to feel light and dizzy, and she thought with a split second of frightened nausea that she must be losing a lot of blood. Enmity’s blows were stronger and harder than hers were.

And yet… she still had a chance to win. Now that she’d torn away some of the queen’s scales, exposed the vulnerable skin and blood beneath… her vision had a chance of coming true. _I have to make her think I’m still going for her underbelly, though,_ she thought. I can’t let her realize what I’m actually doing.

Enmity wheeled around and dove for her again. Truthseer ducked, then cut upwards, aiming for the queen’s stomach again. She was promptly kicked in the head, and a flash of dizzy starshine shot through her skull. _Ow_ , she thought distantly, her fear briefly knocked out of her. She wobbled in flight, and Enmity smacked her again, pushing her farther downwards.

_No, no, nonono- keep flying- don’t fall-_ it was though her wings wouldn’t obey her. She flapped weakly, and felt herself sinking down, down, down- down towards the ground, towards the crowd of dragons, towards the sorrowful look she knew was waiting on Stoneclaws’ face. 

Towards death at her mother’s talons.

Enmity dove down towards her, gaze alight with a gloating, fierce light. She shoved Truthseer the rest of the way to the ground, and the princess felt grass and stone slam painfully against her outstretched wings. Her hazy vision seized on the slash down her mother’s throat, which was still weeping dark crimson blood. It glimmered in the harsh starlight.

Grinning with all her teeth, the queen raised her arm, talons outstretched and claws gleaming. “Time to die, foolish princess,” she hissed. “Tell me, where is your triumphant vision now?”

Truthseer went still, focusing hard. _Now. Now is the time. This is my last chance._

The queen’s talons fell in slow motion, aimed for the kill, slicing through the air-

And then Truthseer’s fire burst forth from within her, engulfing her mother in an explosion of licking flames.

A horrifying screech filled the air. The talons disappeared as the queen thrashed, falling to the ground, wings beating desperately as she rolled and tried to quell the flames. They traveled along her open wound, burning her flesh, eating away the skin. Truthseer wanted to look away but couldn’t. She was frozen, fixated by the sight of her mother’s final struggles, confusion and terror and guilt and relief mingling in a chaotic tsunami inside of her chest.

It took far too long for Enmity to die. She stayed alive, burning and screaming and thrashing, for what felt like hours. And then she collapsed to the ground that was strewn with pine needles, wings hanging limply at her sides, and as the wind began to die away she went utterly still.

Not a dragon moved, spoke, or made any sound.

Out of the corner of her eye, the princess saw Stoneclaws angling down beside the fallen queen. She watched uncomprehendingly as he nudged her, took her arm in his talons, and felt for a pulse. She waited, her brain slow and distant even as the truth of her vision clicked in what was supposed to be a satisfying, relieving way.

_She’s really dead. She’s really gone. Because of me. Somehow, I killed her… I was so afraid of her… but somehow I killed her…_

Blinking with a violent jolt, Truthseer realized she was shaking all the way down to her wings, trembling as strongly as a dead leaf in the thunderstorm wind. Everything felt far away, and she hardly heard it as Stoneclaws raised his voice to declare—

“All hail Queen Truthseer, the new ruler of the NightWings!” 


End file.
